Child/Adolescent Acute Care Emphasis

The Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in acute care (CPNP-AC) provides family-centered and culturally respectful care for pediatric patients with acute, complex, critical, and chronic illness across a variety of care settings.

Graduates are prepared to:

  • Deliver collaborative, culturally competent, family-centered care to diverse patient populations.
  • Address the physical, mental, and social healthcare needs of patients from infancy through adolescence.
  • Handle complex monitoring and ongoing management of intensive therapies.
  • Lead healthcare delivery and quality improvement efforts that positively influence the healthcare outcomes of patients.
  • Graduates are eligible for Pediatric acute care certification.

Join the Fall 2024 Cohort

Applications are now open for the DNP - Child/Adolescent Nurse Practitioner program. 
Application deadline: May 1, 2024
Do you have questions about the program or the application process? Contact Mike Stoll, Graduate Programs Advisor, at [email protected]


Child/Adolescent Acute Care Course Progression Plan

Fall Year 1:

  • STA 610 - Applied Statistics for Health Professions: Project-oriented overview of major statistical techniques commonly used in problems encountered in health professions. Students will learn to use a major statistical computing package. Hypothesis testing, t-tests, regression, analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, categorical data analysis, and nonparametric statistics. 
  • NUR 608 - Leadership Roles in Complex SystemsIn this course, students analyze and evaluate theories and research that influence leadership in complex systems. Leadership is explored in complex system domains. Core competencies for leadership effectiveness are examined and evaluated, with application in an experiential field experience.
  • NUR 607 - Health Care System Policy and Politics  - This course focuses on policy decisions related to organization, financing, and delivery of health care in global communities. It provides a basis for understanding political and social forces that shape nursing practice and health care delivery. Ethical dimensions of public policy will be applied in field experiences.

Winter Year 1:

  • NUR 698 - Scholarly Inquiry and Evidence-Based PracticeThis course focuses on the review and synthesis of literature to improve health care practice. Methodologic considerations and variable measurement are explored along with ethical considerations in human subjects. It is in sequence with statistics and quality improvement theory.
  • NUR 621 - Clinical Pathophysiology This course utilizes the scientific underpinnings of the biologic basis of disease to understand the pathophysiology, clinical assessment and treatment of clinical conditions across the lifespan. Content includes: cellular injury, inflammation, immunity, genetics, and various disease states in 
    oncology, endocrinology, cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurology, gastroenterology, hematology, nephrology, and gynecology.
  • NUR 605 - Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice This course focuses on the formation and cultivation of a sustainable professional identity. Emphasis is on theoretical underpinnings of the profession, professional communication and Integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion as core to one's professional identity through self-reflection and a commitment to life-long learning.

Spring/Summer Year 1:

  • NUR 704 - Quality and Management in Healthcare - This course provides knowledge and expertise in the application of key concepts from quality improvement, implementation science and project management as a foundation for the development of the DNP Scholarly Project. A project plan will be designed during contextual field learning experiences.
  • NUR 620 - Clinical Pharmacology This course examines advanced pharmacology principles for drug therapy in the management of common clinical conditions experienced by various patient populations. This content will provide a pharmacotherapeutic foundation necessary for advanced practice nurse
    practitioners to safely and ethically prescribe in clinical APRN nursing practice.
  • NUR 625 - Health Issues in Vulnerable PopulationsThis course examines and incorporates epidemiologic methods and theories in the assessment of health disparities in vulnerable populations. Course content will explore issues in health access, disparities in U.S. populations, and examine current trends, societal consequences, and contributory cause(s).

Fall Year 2:

  • NUR 631 - Human Development Across the Lifespan Exploration of concepts and advanced nursing strategies related to human development across the lifespan. Provides the theoretical basis for advanced nursing practice.
  • NUR 750 - Mental Health for Nurse Practitioners Mental health conditions that are typically identified and often treated in primary care will be explored. Mental health conditions that also require comprehensive primary care management will be examined. Integrated behavioral health and primary care models will be analyzed. Current best practices and evidence-based treatment methods will be investigated.
  • NUR 610 - Advanced Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning Students will demonstrate advanced assessment skills to detect and differentiate abnormal findings and to generate potential diagnoses. Through case study analysis and use of simulation with standard patients, students will use selected theoretical
    frameworks to guide clinical decision-making for patient encounters.

Winter Year 2:

  • NUR 770 - Health Promotion & Risk Management This course provides an introduction to interdisciplinary theories, advanced nursing strategies and practices in health promotion and risk management of an identified population. It introduces nurse practitioner roles while incorporating principles of epidemiology, improvement of population outcomes, and foundations for providing physical and mental health care in an identified population.
  • NUR 746 - Procedures and Simulations for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses I: th health promotion and risk management content in an advanced practice nursing course. Intentional simulations involving standardized patients focus
    on building foundations for quality advanced nursing practice. Simulated experiences support competency assessment.
  • NUR 709 - DNP Scholarly Project IIn this course, the student begins enactment of advanced practice nursing role through organizational and system leadership theory, knowledge, and skills to improve and transform healthcare for a population of interest. Students are prepared to integrate clinical knowledge and skills, building
    upon earlier learning with application in experiential field experience.
  • NUR 703 - Healthcare InformaticsThis course provides a detailed introduction to information systems and technologies that support systems of practice in healthcare. Relevant theories, as well as issues and standards including ethical and privacy concerns, are addressed. Strategies for building and managing information
    system components will be incorporated, with an opportunity for application in field experience.

Spring/Summer Year 2: 

  • NUR 772 - Common Health ProblemsThis course provides an application of interdisciplinary theories, advanced nursing strategies and practices of common health problems to focused populations including related family needs across the care delivery system.
  • NUR 773 - NP Practicum I This course provides precepted real-world clinical practice of the DNP-prepared NP role for health promotion and managing common health problems in the acute care or the primary care setting, for the population of focus.
  • NUR 747 - Procedures and Simulations for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses II:Concepts of clinical judgment and diagnostic reasoning are expanded in simulated clinical experiences and essential procedures that correlate with the management of common health problem content presented in advanced nursing practice courses. Intentional patient experiences focus on expanding foundations for quality advanced nursing practice. Simulated experiences will support competency assessment.
  • NUR 710 - DNP Scholarly Project II In this course, the student continues enactment of the advanced practice nursing role through organizational and system leadership knowledge and skills for the improvement and transformation of healthcare for a population of interest. An organizational assessment and literature review integrate clinical knowledge and skills building on theoretical and experiential learning.

Fall Year 3:

  • NUR 774 - Complex Health ProblemsThis course provides the application of interdisciplinary theories, advanced nursing strategies and practices of complex health problems including related family needs, across the care delivery system with a population of focus.
  • NUR 775 - NP Practicum II This course provides precepted real-world clinical practice of the DNP-prepared NP role for health promotion and managing complex health problems in the acute care or the primary care setting, for the population of focus.
  • NUR 748 - Procedures and Simulations for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses III:Concepts of clinical judgment and diagnostic reasoning will be advanced in complex and transitional simulated clinical experiences. Essential procedures correlated with complex health problems in co-requisite advanced nursing courses will be presented. Intentional patient experiences focus on building foundations for quality advanced nursing practice. Simulated experiences will support competency assessment.
  • NUR 711 - DNP Scholarly Project IIIStudents continue enactment of the advanced practice nursing role in the development of an evidence-based practice change project. The project plan is developed through the integration of clinical knowledge and skills applied in-field experience in the population of interest with progression through the curriculum towards doctoral project implementation and completion.

Winter Year 3:

  • NUR 776 - Care Transitions/Interprofessional PracticeThis course provides the application of interdisciplinary theories, advanced nursing strategies and practices for management of complex health problems including related family needs across care delivery systems. The focus is on the refinement of the DNP-prepared NP role in managing care transitions and Inter-professional practice in a population of focus.
  • NUR 777 - NP Practicum IIIThis course provides precepted real-world clinical practice of the DNP-prepared NP role for health promotion and managing complex care, transitions, and collaborative, inter-professional practice problems in acute care or primary care settings, for the population of focus.
  • NUR 749 - Procedures and Simulations for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses IV:Concepts of clinical judgment and diagnostic reasoning will be advanced in complex and transitional simulated clinical experiences. Essential procedures correlated with complex health and care transitions content will be implemented. Intentional patient experiences focus on advancing clinical
    judgment for quality advanced nursing practice. Simulated experiences will support competency assessment.
  • NUR 712 - DNP Scholarly Project IV Students conclude enactment of the advanced practice nursing role. Students demonstrate t h e integration of clinical knowledge, and organizational and system leadership knowledge and skills in the completion of implementation, evaluation, defense, and dissemination of an evidence-based project to improve and transform a healthcare issue in a population of interest.

Clinical Nurse Practitioner hours:

  • NUR 746 (100 hours)
  • NUR 747-749 (50 hours each = 150 hours)
  • NUR 773 (225 hours)**
  • NUR 775 (225 hours)**
  • NUR 777 (300 hours)**

Total clinical hours: 1000

 

DNP Didactic Clinical Credits:
C/A Single Focus = 12

Total clinical and immersion hours: 1300** based on recommended credits sequencing

DNP Immersion hours:

  • NUR 607 (25 hours)
  • NUR 608 (25 hours)
  • NUR 703 (25 hours)
  • NUR 704 (25 hours)
  • NUR 709-712 (200 hours)

 

Total immersion hours:  300

Variable Credits (Choose practicum credits with approval by faculty):

  • NUR 773: 1-3 credits (recommend 3 credits)
  • NUR 775: 3-5 credits (recommend 3 credits)
  • NUR 777: 4-6 credits (recommend 4 credits)

Must total 10 credits by the end of the Winter semester of the final year.


Why GVSU?
  • Recognized excellence – KCON’s nursing programs are accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and are highly respected by employers across the region.
  • GVSU has established partnerships with over 1,700 healthcare organizations.
  • Delivery format is ideal for working adults through online coursework and high-impact, action-focused in-seat classes at the DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health (DCIH) in downtown Grand Rapids.
  • A dedicated full-time placement coordinator manages all clinical and immersion experiences through your program of study.
  • Graduate assistantships, scholarships, financial aid, and Laker Lifetime Learning (L3) commitment available to those who qualify.
  • Top ranked, highly qualified faculty are invested in student success and relevant coursework.
  • State-of-the-art classrooms and Simulation Center provides opportunities for learning experiences that meet the needs of a diverse population of students.

Let’s talk about your academic goals today!

Contact Mike Stoll, Graduate Programs Advisor, at [email protected] to schedule an appointment.



Page last modified March 6, 2024